Arm Device May Improve In-School Migraine Control
Research By: Marielle Kabbouche Samaha, MD | Andrew Hershey, MD, PhD
Post Date: December 18, 2024 | Publish Date: Oct. 25, 2024
Students coping with migraine were more likely to promptly treat their headaches if they used a wearable non-drug treatment device, according to a study led by experts at Cincinnati Children’s.
The study, recently published in the journal Children, was led by Andrew Hershey, MD, PhD, endowed chair and director of the Division of Neurology. Co-authors included Marielle Kabbouche Samaha, MD, director of the Headache Center at Cincinnati Children’s, and scientists from the Israel-based device maker, Theranica.
The research team tracked 332 participating students ages 7 to 17 who were prescribed the REN wearable device, which delivers signals to nerve fibers in the arm that help manage how the wearer responds to pain. REN is a remote electrical neuromodulator sold under the brand name, “Nerivio.”
The study found that the rate of students treating their headaches at school increased from 78.3% to 89.8%. The students also reported that they liked not needing to leave class to see a school nurse when migraine pain began. A significant number of students were able to treat their headaches with REN alone.
“By addressing the key barriers associated with migraine and the treatment of migraine at school, REN has the potential to transform migraine management in school-aged children and adolescents,” Hershey says. “REN should be considered a first-line treatment option for students with headaches due to migraine. Due to the extent of these benefits with few if any side effects, we should encourage insurance companies to cover this treatment for all school-aged students living with migraine.”
Nerivio has been cleared for use in adult patients in the United States since 2019, and for patients as young as 12 since 2023. In November 2024, the US Food and Drug Administration approved expanding the age range for the device to children as young as 8. Learn more.
Looking ahead, Hershey says wider-scale use of the device still faces some challenges. Insurers coverage for the first-line use of the device is mixed. Also, special permissions may be needed in schools that restrict student access to smartphones.
Read the full Theranica media release
| Original title: | Patterns, Barriers, and Preferences of Treating Migraine Within the School Setting: A Survey Study of Students |
| Published in: | Children |
| Publish date: | Oct. 25, 2024 |
Research By
My research seeks to understand the clinical and biological characteristics of headaches in order to improve the outcomes of not only the patients and families we see, but of patients everywhere.
